I have a friend who enjoys jigsaw puzzles. She continually searches for intricate, unique, and beautiful puzzles. One day I asked her, “Why do these puzzles fascinate you?” She thought for a moment and replied, “I love to be a part of the plan. I know that within the box lies a wonderful creation. To have the pleasure of forming the jumbled heap of pieces into the beautiful picture on the cover is a sheer delight.”
As I read this passage in which God calls Jeremiah to be a “prophet to the nations,” God’s purposefulness captures me. Verse 5 emphasizes a clear message: “I formed you; . . . I knew you; . . . I set you apart; . . . I appointed you.” Other biblical passages explore God’s activity in shaping us. Psalm 139:13, 15 states, “It was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. . . . My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.”
To be formed, known, set apart, and appointed by God is a testament to God’s love for and faith in us. Jeremiah’s encounter reminds us that the Creator is not simply aware of our existence but is actively involved in our development and, most importantly, has a plan for each of us. God will not call all of us to be the “prophet to the nations,” but God calls us for equally important and life-changing work—acting as a companion to the sick and dying, being a drum major for justice in the face of oppression, demonstrating God’s preferential option for the poor, or raising up a new generation of world changers. As we respond to God’s call we become a part of a grand plan where our jumbled pieces are transformed into the beautiful picture God intends.
God, make us available to be instruments of your peace, justice, love, and compassion in a hurting and broken world. Amen.
